The Portland daily press., 1887-11-12
Canada Drawing Nearer.

The agitation for commercial union with
the United States is part of a movement of
considerable magnitude that is now going on
among our neighbors. The British North
America Act of 1867, which formed the Do
minion of Canada out of disconnected Prov
inces, fails to give satisfaction. The meas
ure Of local self government in each Province
is too little, and the relation of Province to
Province and of the central government TO
Province are not such as to produce the best
results. Last month members of the yari-
ons provincial governments gathered at
quebec on the invitation Of Premier MERCER.
They reviewed the working of the British
North America Act for the last twenty wears.
and adopted a series Of resolutions. setting
forth wherein it ought to be amended.
Ihese resolutions have since been submitted
to, and approved by, the Provincial govern
ments of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick and Manitoba. These resolu-
lions therefore, stand as an authoritative
expression Of the people of their dissatisfac-
ton with their present system of govern
ment They have also embodied with their
criticisms of the British North America Act
resolutions that unrestricted creciprocitv
with the United States would be of adyan-
tage to all the provinces Of the Dominion.
While not diminishing the fervent loyalty of
Canadians to Her Majesty, the Queen.
reciprocity would, the resolution further de-
clares, tend to settle grave difficulties, like
the fisheries dispute, which have from time
to time, arisen between the mother country
and the United States. 1t is noticeable also
that the resolutions demanding a change in
the form Of government ask for changes that
the example Of the United States approves.
Local self government the Provinces of Can
ada do not have to that extent that free
people should. The Dominion government
has an authority to disallow acts of the Pro-
Vincial legislatures and thus has arbitrary
control over legislation Of the Provinces
within their own sphere. twas by the ex-
erclse OF this power of disallowance that the
Dominion government forbade the Mani
tobans to construct the railway to the
United States border, although the road was
10 nave been wholly within the border of the
Province. If the United States government
should forbid the State of Maine IN charter a
railroad from Mattawamkeag to Fort Kent
1t would be regarded as an unwarrantahle
interference OF the central government. But
the Dominion government has the power 70
do just such things, and the people OF the
Provinces are not satisfied with the
arrangement Then, too, there is dissat-
isfaction with the Dominion Senate. 70
which appointments are made for life by the
Dominion government. Instead Of Senators
appointed for life, the resolutions of the con-
ference ask that portion at least shall be
selected by the Provinces, as our States Sc
lect United States Senators, and that the
Senators may hold Office for limited time
Most Of the other recommendations of this
council tend to the modification of Canadian
governmental institutions according to
american principles. 1T is plain that as the
TWO peoples live side by side year after year,
tne canadians sensibly draw nearer to the
United States and farther from England.
our trade our principles Of government are
preferable to English trade and English
principles Of government. This is perfectly